State Rep. Sam Singh (repeatedly) made Michigan history

First Indian-American in the House was also first person of color to be East Lansing mayor

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House Democratic Leader Sam Singh talks to the media after Gov. Rick Snyder's State of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017 at the Capitol in Lansing.(Photo: Julia Nagy/Lansing State Journal)Buy Photo

EAST LANSING – Sam Singh was the first Indian-American to serve in the Michigan House, and that made him the first Indian-American to serve as minority leader when he became the chamber's top Democrat in January 2017.

In fact, Singh has a knack for making history.

Before joining the Legislature, he was one the state's youngest city council members when he joined the East Lansing council at age 24. He served a dozen years there, two of them as the city's youngest mayor — the first person of color to hold that position.

He's long said his parents, who came to the U.S. from India before he was born, taught him the value of what this country gives to its people and the importance of giving back.

Having spent the entirety of his House career in the Democratic minority, Singh has seen only six of his bills signed into law by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. But he said he's still made a difference by using the bully pulpit to force the GOP majority to focus on his issues: schools, roads and higher education.

"I've used my position to highlight the deficiencies, which I think in the end has forced the other side to put more money in" than they would have otherwise, Singh said.

Singh, 47, can't seek reelection to the state House because of term limits, and his state Senate district is already occupied by a Democrat. So, for the first time since 1995, he's not on any ballot.

Singh is one of three Greater Lansing lawmakers — state Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, and state Rep. Tom Cochran, D-Mason, are the others — who are being term-limited out of the Legislature this year and are not seeking another public office.

He isn't sure what he'll do next. He'd like to work in a Democratic administration, should someone from his team win in November (he's endorsed Gretchen Whitmer, who preceded him in the House).

Failing that, he'll likely work again in the nonprofit sector (he ran the Michigan Nonprofit Association before being elected to the Legislature).